The Rise of the Industrial Internet of Things

As you may already know, the Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the projected widescale development of a network of everyday objects that are interconnected over the Internet and are able to collect, exchange, and process data. These objects, composed of electronic devices, vehicles, and entire buildings, will represent the physical infrastructure of newly emerging information societies, allowing for the integration of the tangible world into computer-based technologies.

Enter the big industries

On top of the emergence of the Internet of Things, which is expected to happen in the near future, there is another interesting technological paradigm shift that we can expect to happen in our lifetime: the rise of the Industrial Internet of Things.

In the domain of large enterprise, the Industrial IoT is often introduced either as a subdivision or the foundation of the bigger concept of Internet of Things. It is the integration of existing technologies like wireless broadband solutions, artificial intelligence, sensor analytics, automation, machine to machine communications, business intelligence, and many others into various industries.

It is expected that Industrial IoT will radically transform the current business and economic landscape. It will allow businesses to take advantage of complex devices, machines, and systems imbued with capability to analyze and process data, to make independent decisions, and to generate a wealth of vital business insights, enabling them to create new avenues for growth.

In particular, pioneering companies are hoping to leverage the shift toward Industrial IoT to accomplish the following:

• Improve operational efficiency
• Avoid unintended facility downtimes and improve their upkeep and repair capabilities
• Increase production throughput
• Deliver products to the marketplace faster and more easily
• Discover new business models
• Enter previously uncharted markets
• Explore opportunities for the creation of new products and services, many of which could be hybrid varieties
• Generally drive the world into a new era of innovation, competitiveness, and economic progress

A variety of opportunities

As you can imagine, Industrial IoT presents a plethora of opportunities for finding growth in non-traditional areas. Some of the novelties and technologies that could become commonplace in the future because of Industrial IoT include the following:

• Smart homes and offices with sophisticated systems for energy and lighting, HVAC, climate control, security, and entertainment.
• Trackers that can monitor the health and medical conditions of patients.
• Better traffic management systems that can monitor pollution, traffic, noise, and parking conditions.
• Self-driving cars that can navigate busy streets with ease.
• Airplanes, trains, and ships with smart components that can report mechanical issues even before they can cause problems.
• Power grids that use data gathered through smart technologies, allowing for the reliable and efficient management of energy and grid resources.
• Efficient manufacturing facilities that can identify bottlenecks in production and pinpoint maintenance or quality issues.
• Smart farms that can monitor a wide array of environmental data to optimize the management and growing of crops.

With Industrial IoT presenting so many promises that could improve our lives in ways that are almost unimaginable at present, it is high time for forward-thinking businesses and governments to coordinate their efforts and to deepen their commitment and investments to accelerate the adoption of Industrial IoT solutions. With the help of enterpises and government agencies, such solutions can become standard throughout the world.

Featured Image Credit Christopher A. Dominic via Flikr